“All you need is snow and a power kite and you can turn a cold winter's day into a blistering, adrenaline soaked experience!”

Power Kiting is the ultimate in "Harnessing the Wind" and it is not for the weak of heart! The prominent feature of large kites is the amount of pull they can generate, especially in high winds. Power kites take this to the extreme! Today's power kites are used for recreational “kite traction”, being pulled by a kite. 

Snow Kiting has taken power kiting to the extreme and is the latest winter sport!   Large highly controllable foil kites are used to blast us along with just the power of the wind! The 'Big air' jumps that boarders and skiers are pulling under the power and security of power kites are simply breath taking.

Snow Kiting is a lot easier to learn than kiteboarding on the water!  Here is why:

• It is easy to stand on snow, which makes the whole process easier!
• It also takes a lot less wind to drive a board across snow than it does across water. The whole learning experience is lot less daunting, as you need much less power and wind to get you moving.
• Finally, holding an edge in snow is much easier than in water making up wind progress much easier to master.
• Finally, it is more affordable since you don’t need as much power, you can get started for around $200-$300!

All you need is snow and a power kite and you can turn a cold winter's day into a blistering, adrenaline soaked experience!

To Snow Kite you will want a foil type kite since it is completely soft in structure and cannot be damaged easily when the kite is slammed into the ground. Foils are also capable of reverse launching which is very important for re-launching these kites from the snow.

Choosing Your Kite

Unlike water, snow conditions change daily. When you consider a kite size, you must also take into consideration the main style of terrain.  It will take more kite power to pull you in fresh powder than it will on packed snow or icy conditions. The most popular size for most winds and and terrain is the 5.0 square meter size. The 5.0 is ideal for the medium winds of 12-18mph. A 3.0 will work in super high winds, over 15mph and a larger 7.0-9.0 foil will be the preferred size for lighter 10-15mph winds.

 

 

Selecting A Place to Ride

Make sure it is a large area free of all obstacles. Consider what might be under the snow. You don't want to land on a sharp pole, etc. Pay attention to the area directly downwind of the riding area. You don't want to get pulled into a roadway, etc.

Flat land, rolling hills, or a frozen lake is much preferred over mountains.  Try your local park or school athletic fields!

You must find a place with consistent winds.  Check for anything that can cause the wind to become turbulent.  Stay at least 100ft away from objects to avoid the wind shadow.

Getting Started with Kite Packages from Kitty Hawk Kites-

The Ballistic 3.6 package will get you started for $200.00!!.   It is 3.6 sq. meters of power and it's a quad line kite with a control bar, Complete with the bar, lines, and kite backpack, its only $199.00!  Simply add your favorite snowboard or pair of skis and on of our harnesses!

If you are looking for more power and performance, check out the Ozone Frenzy. It has a dynamic bridle system that interacts with the control bar to allow you to "de-power" or adjust the angle of attack of the kite. This is a huge step forward in technology because you can cover an enormous wind range with a bigger kite, it will cover the wind range of 1.5 kites!  You also get much smoother rides!   This system works like shocks on a car to smooth out the pull of the kite during gusts.